TAMPA, Fla. - The Friday night lights are about to get a whole lot brighter for Berkeley Prep.

The Bucs are taking their act on the road to Louisiana to face Newman High School. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

“It’s cool going out of the state and everything like that, definitely being on ESPN,” senior running back Xavier Townsend said. “We try to go into every game with the same mindset, just get the win.”

Despite the bigger stage, the Bucs are preparing the same way they always do. Only this time with a little twist. Berkeley’s defense prepared against a different scout team quarterback.

Brad Mayes, the former Bucs starting quarterback who went on to play at Lehigh, got to play the part of Arch Manning at practice. Manning is the nephew of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli. He leads the Greenies and is one of the most coveted recruiting prospects in the country.

But you want name power? The Bucs see your Manning and raise you a Titus O’Neil. The WWE star’s two sons are on the team.

And what about head coach Dominick Ciao. He might not have national name recognition. But he is Bay Area royalty. Ciao’s one of the longest tenured coaches in Tampa Bay history and with nearly 250 wins, he’s one of the winningest coaches in Hillsborough County.

Ciao’s job this week is to treat it like every other week. He’s trying to make sure the lights don’t get too bright for his young players.

“A great coach said that’s the enemy of greatness,” Ciao said. “So we’ve got to make sure the distractions don’t get in our way.”

Air travel and a hotel stay can be a distraction. Lining up against one of the most recognized names in football can be a distraction. Football fans surely know the Manning name. And after Friday’s game, the Bucs are hoping they know all of their names too.

“They have great players, a great program, great tradition,” Ciao said. “We gotta just make sure control what we can do. And make sure we’re prepared and get in our minds right the correct way.”

“I’m just looking forward to being with my teammates, making some lifelong lasting memories,” said senior linebacker Tre Reader. “And just going out there and finding a way to get a W. We’re real blessed to be in an opportunity like this. Not many teams in the area get to do this.

“So it’s something we’re taking real serious to represent Tampa and the state of Florida.”